The Pleasant Valley National Honor Society is hosting PV Palooza on April 1, 2017 from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the high school gyms. PV Palooza was formerly known to many as Dance Marathon, but the National Honor Society wanted to revamp the event, as well as the name, for 2017. The name change can also be attributed to the misconception of what the funds were being raised for due to the previous name. Sara Russell, teacher at Pleasant Valley, is the advisor for the National Honor Society at Pleasant Valley. Russell explained, “For the second year in a row, we are raising money for the Vera French Foundation. We chose to support this organization because they directly impact and benefit our school and district by placing licensed counselors in our schools for students to talk to if they are struggling. It can sometimes take up to six months to get an appointment with a counselor outside of school, so the service they provide is critical to the mental health of our students. Like many organizations, they only receive about 50% of their funding from the state so donations are necessary to keep their services available.”

PV Palooza is a multi-faceted event with several ways for people to get involved. Ike Sears, senior, is co-president of the National Honor Society at PV. Sears said, “The night starts out with all sorts of entertainment–in the past we’ve had foursquare, badminton, bouncy castles, and super smash bros–and always ends with a rave. Yes, a rave, as in loud music, flashing lights, and a mob of people going crazy on the dance floor.” Russell also said, “While PV Palooza will feature a variety of events and food, our big focus this year is on the dodgeball tournament. Students can sign up for teams of six and there will be prizes for the winning team and best dressed and most coordinating team. All high school students and staff are invited to attend our event. Admission is $10, and that includes all food and activities.”